The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-11-09

thoughts often are, with the hope that
The day of separation might be far off.
The first great affliction of their
lives was tho death of their mother.
they mourned, and wept
their grief out on each others necks.
then tenderly counted over the little
keepsakes and relics she had appor-
toned between them. Among them
was heavy metal thimble, religiously
beouc athcd to Janet. Around its up
per rim and somewhat hidden by the
rolling edge was an inscriptions: 40
Janet from Roy" This, the young
folks considered, needed explanation,
for their fathers name was not Roy,
and with youths impetuous eager
ness to know, even when the knowl-
edge may only bring pain, they took
the first opportunity to consult him
about it.
He told them that he and their moth
er had long contemplated letting them
into q secret that the thimble half I'M
folded, but could never make up their
minds just how Or when the story
should be told. Hesitating and post,
poning. his wife had gone to her
rest with the story still untold. No
better opportunity than this question
ING about the thimble might ever
arise, and 80 he would tell them.
The good woman they had just laid
away in the little family burial
ground on distant corner of the farm
| was the young widow of Roy Nc
Grecor, narrated their father when he
made visit to the Selkirk settlement.
on the banks of the Chanel Ecarte. at
tracted thither by the wonderful sto-
ries of ghosts and wi'chcraft that once
cave continental distinction to that
company of Scotch colonists. And he
was widower, with hat band of Grape
scarcely taken on the faded tint of
brown. They had each child, and
the children wcro of one age, and it
was as they talked of the peculiar
clevcrness of these respective babies
that they grew interested in each other.
That was the brief and simple story,
and it explained the inscription on the
thimble. They We're not brother and
sister but by association.
This revelation was q surprise to Var
and Janet, as the entirely unexpect
ed always is; but to say that it in any
way changed the position in which
they stood in each others affections a
once would be improbab bic. 1t wa
only rs time went by that thoughts o
the real interest in each other came t
be entertained, and then were neve
given utterance. Oaly in a vague wa
did Van sometimes venture to thin
that somehow and some time Jane
might come to regard him less as
brother and more as lover, and tina
their old fear of separation need ncye
be realized.
So time went by, and our Uncle
Dolsen, then in the prime and vigor
young manhood. loved and waited
t and while he waited, his thoughts wei
a diverted from the common theme by
e new and greater commotion. In ii
S heated councils of tive countries thel
Q arose threats of war. Bloodshed WI
: impending. Tho trouble grew an
: increased, until the people were up
s arms. The Indians had bee
aroused to take sides in tt
!, quarrel, and Uncle" Dolscn, who hs
], expected to 60 to the front found hin
q self bound to the first duty of q hon
: guard for Janet and his father. II
Y Indians had had their warlike spin
n stirred, but their ideas ofalliance we
e not very well defined, nor their sen
> of military honor very strong. Thu
i struck blow for plumber as often
n for principle, aud at friend as readi
(. as at foe when they could do itstealt
1T lily. When General Harrison swept
j. the Valley of the Thames to be m
:. and stayed by the Colonial forces u
d der Proctor and Tecumseh. he left t
" little homestead of the Dolsens uni
o. iured. But not so n few unallied re
re skins who loitered in his track
rapine and pillage. With no grou
w for interference with the househc
" but the spirit of mischief that h
ID taken possession of them. and no
~ centiye to crime but the base passio
II and devilishness that Janet McGre
d. or's feminine charms provoked. tn
Of beset the house, first with stratagt
OF and then with force.
al The two men and the frightened g
IT, defended their little domicile valial
al ly, Janet preparing the charges of a
ad munition while the men sought vanta
fe points for putting those charges il
I'd the enemy with rifle, blunderbuss a
such other arms rs the isolated far
es house afforded. The advantage v
,e- generally with the better marksn
ly in the house, and one by one the SIN
a band of Indian marauders was bel
mt steadily thinned, when Janet
i'm nounced that the ammunition '
tic nearly exhausted. To husband it
I'd much as possible their shots W
he made less frequent and more de
ill crate, while the Indians, mistak
TO- this for weakening, became holder
he drew nearer.
od The last round of shot had b
M fired, and with it one of the most
~, gressiye of the attackers had been ]